Sparring over several issues were Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, who has appeared competitive with Mr. DeSantis' distant second-place position in some national polls. Much of the debate focused on policy — especially foreign policy issues — rather than Mr. Trump and his record. But it's not clear many Republican primary voters want a Trump alternative. And given his dominance in early state and national polls, Mr. Trump again skipped the debate to deprive his rivals of attention. Mr. Trump claimed no one was watching the debate and said holding a rally was much harder than going on a debate stage.

Source: The Hindu November 09, 2023 11:27 UTC